"I had my first child when I was 18 years old. I was told to get an induction, so I did. When it was time to push, I started to tear. Without warning or explanation, I was cut- what's called an episiotomy. My husband and I were shocked. No one explained to me what was happening. It took a very long time to heal physically and emotionally. I didn't have words for it then, but I was broken."
"I felt coerced into getting it anyway. The epidural did not work properly and I still was able to feel the pain. After I pushed my daughter out, it was strongly suggested that I take pain medication. I tried to explain that I did not want to take any pain medication, and that I was OK. I was breastfeeding and didn't want the medication to affect the baby."
A woman had her first child at 18 and was induced; she experienced an unconsented episiotomy and prolonged physical and emotional healing, producing lasting distrust of doctors. At 22 she was induced again, tore, and felt coerced into an epidural that failed to eliminate pain. Medical staff repeatedly pressured her to take postpartum pain medication despite breastfeeding concerns, and compliance felt safer than resistance. The account emphasizes that childbirth carries risk of death and reports that Black women face about 50 deaths per 100,000 births, a rate markedly higher than other racial groups and widening over time.
Read at Slate Magazine
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